Abdullahs navigate rebellion as Farooq backs MLAs, Omar offers to resign

SRINAGAR: With National Conference (NC) facing its biggest internal challenge in recent decades, party president Farooq Abdullah and Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah held a meeting with 15 of the 25 rebel MLAs at the former's residence for over two hours on Friday morning in a bid to defuse the crisis. While Farooq sought to mollify the rebels by terming their demands "genuine", Omar sought to play the emotional card by offering to resign several times during the meeting, construing the criticism of his cabinet ministers and his adviser Nasir Aslam Wani as akin to questioning his leadership. He walked out of the meeting at least three times before being persuaded by the MLAs to return, sources said.

While the rebels' key demands — replacing all eight ministers, including deputy CM Surinder Choudhary, and removing Wani — remained unresolved, the meeting agreed on setting up consultative committees of legislators for each cabinet minister and a separate manifesto committee to monitor the implementation of the party's election promises, including the restoration of J&K's special status, sources said. This is the first time in around four decades that NC MLAs have openly challenged the party leadership, creating a crisis for the Omar govt.

After the meeting, Farooq, flanked by Omar and the MLAs, addressed media persons and dismissed suggestions of a split or rebellion within NC. The party remained "united and strong", he asserted.

"We have spoken to the legislators, and their concerns and grievances are genuine. We will give due consideration to them. Everyone was heard patiently. Some (confidence-building) measures will be taken soon, while others will be implemented gradually. We will work to strengthen the party and the govt so that people's problems are addressed," he said. The NC chief reiterated that the party would continue its fight for the restoration of statehood and Article 370.

Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri, MLA from Bijbehara in south Kashmir, said, "We remain committed to Article 370. It took BJP almost 70 years to declare it done and dusted; our fight (for its restoration) has not even completed four years so far ... you will see in the coming days how aggressively we pursue the restoration of statehood."

Another rebel legislator told TOI that the party leadership had agreed to consider a cabinet reshuffle within a year. "The meeting went well and I think all our demands to strengthen the party were accepted," he said.